Skipton Castle Woods in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England - May 2017

skipton.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

Hidden behind one of Britain’s most popular medieval castles, the Woodland Trust's Skipton Castle Woods is a rare ancient woodland habitat straight off the high street.

With a fascinating history that dates back a thousand years, stunning seasonal displays, amazing wildlife and a central location, Skipton Castle Woods is a must-visit if you’re in the area.

One of the Woodland Trust’s most unique sites, there’s lots for nature-lovers and families to see and do, so step off the high street, feel the earth under your boots and come explore.

About Skipton Castle Woods

Here’s just a taster of what we know about Skipton Castle Woods and its history. Don’t forget the best way to experience all of this and much more is to visit; on arrival in the woods you will find a site map full of interesting features, suggested walking routes and more activities to try. Happy exploring!

Skipton Castle Woods is owned by Skipton Castle and is managed by the Woodland Trust. The trust owns or manages more than 1,000 sites all over the UK supported by more than 250,000 members.

Amazing trees and history

Skipton Castle Woods was once part of a great hunting woodland that stretched across North Yorkshire.

Today what remains of that great wood is now one of England’s rare ancient woodland sites. Many of the trees you will see are veterans dating between 30 and 150 years old.

Most of Skipton’s ancient woodland is a mix of broadleaf trees such as oak, ash, lime, alder, hornbeam and beech. But there is also a smattering of Scot’s pine and Norway spruce.

Both holly and hazel can be found along the upper paths and woodland plants and flowers such as wild garlic, bluebells, wood anemone and dogs mercury are in abundance, depending on the season.

If your visit includes a trip to Skipton Castle, make sure to spend some time with the castle’s famed ancient yew tree planted by Lady Ann Clifford in 1649.

History of Skipton Castle Woods

Skipton Castle Woods is a private woodland leased for 75 years by the owners, Skipton Castle, to the Woodland Trust. In partnership with the castle and under our care, the public has access to enjoy this ancient site.

The castle archives, now housed at the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds, contain multiple mentions of the wood and reveal a fascinating timeline of the woodland, people and trees.

Skipton Castle Wood's historical highlights

The woods, once known as Old Park, would have influenced the original decision to build a castle here. The woods provided many of the necessities essential for survival during the castle’s early existence, including water, fuel, building materials, fishing and hunting.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the woods provided timber, building stone and, most importantly, water to feed and power the town’s woollen, corn and sawmills.

Later, the woodland became a Victorian pleasure ground, a place to take in the air and promenade, particularly after church on Sunday.
More recently, some of the woodland was planted with quick growing softwoods to meet national demand for timber during and between the two world wars.

What you can see today

You can see evidence of Skipton's history in both the woodland and in the great buildings of the town.

A woodland walk will take you along the watercourses that became the force behind the mills; the industrial engineering that circulates the water is still visible and in use today. A visit to attractions nearby reveals how the woodland supported the development of the town.

Must-sees include the enormous timber portcullis entrance to Skipton Castle and the wide span of exposed oak beams and trusses in the castle’s Banqueting Hall.

In High Corn Mill, the timber waterwheel made from local elm is still in working order. Pull the handle above the wheel to see it in action.

Things to see and do

Get out the binoculars

There are a few spots in the woodland where you are likely to see the resident herons and kingfishers, especially around the ‘Kingfisher Highway’ between the Springs Canal and Eller Beck.

Pick a spot to stand or sit between these two watercourses and watch as the kingfishers fly in a flash of blue, from one body of water to the other.

As well as the kingfishers, herons and dippers fishing in and around the water, buzzards, sparrow hawks and red kites are also regular visitors, often soaring overhead as they hunt for prey.

Local experts, volunteers and staff host guided walks in the woodland during the summer. It's not unusual to hear one of the green or great spotted woodpeckers during your walk; the tricky bit is seeing them!

Take the Sougha Gill Challenge

Rumour has it that two famous Olympic athlete siblings train in Skipton Castle Woods. You don’t need to be of gold medal standard to enjoy in the woodland however; if you like a challenge, a brisk walk up the steps beside Sougha Gill will get your heart pumping.

The steps are located opposite the bridge near the round dam and they ascend to one our memorial benches and the upper paths. Once at the top, have a moment to rest and enjoy the peace on ‘Johns Bench’ while you take in the views of the woodland and the river bed below.

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / Skipton (show map)

Taken on: May 9, 2017

Sets appears in: • Spring in Britain • Yorkshire, England more » • Group 1 « less

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Camera: NIKON COOLPIX P900, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, 4.3mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	NIKON COOLPIX P900
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.01 sec (1/100)
Focal Length:	4.3mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-1 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	High gain down
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	COOLPIX P900 V1.3
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